Juba- Mrs. Lavina Mariba, in the present day, celebrated the launch of the African vaccination week as a proud mom, with all her three kids absolutely vaccinated and each member of the family updated with their pictures. “All my kids are absolutely vaccinated, my husband and I as properly,” stated Mariba “my kids haven’t fallen in poor health for the previous eight months, and I consider that is the work of vaccine, I’m happy with it.” Narrated Mariba.
Mrs. Mariba, a 32-year-old resident of —a suburb of Juba—has joined the remainder of her group within the official celebration of African Vaccination Week 2025 at a close-by Kator Major Well being Care Centre in Juba.
From 24 to 30 April, South Sudan will rejoice African Vaccination Week (AVW) beneath the theme “Immunization for All is Humanly Doable”. This 12 months’s commemoration coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which, over the previous 5 many years, has pushed progress in combating vaccine-preventable ailments, saving lives and selling well being.
In South Sudan, the nation’s nationwide immunization programme has progressively launched life-saving vaccines, increasing protection with lifesaving vaccines. BCG (tuberculosis vaccine), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), measles (first dose), and Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccines had been first launched in 1976. This was adopted by the introduction of the Pentavalent vaccine in 2015 and the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in 2016. Subsequently, the tetanus-diphtheria booster (Td) and second dose of IPV had been launched in 2021. Most just lately, the malaria vaccine was added to the routine immunization schedule in 2024.
This 12 months, with the help of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the nation is introducing extra vaccines, together with the Pneumococcal Conjugate vaccine (PCV), the Rotavirus vaccine, and the second dose of Measles-Containing Vaccine (MCV2) to its routine immunization programme, holding kids secure from pneumonia, measles and diarrhea.
South Sudan’s Ministry of Well being highlighted the progress that has been pushed by the Expanded programme on Immunization and referred to as on the folks of South Sudan to take an energetic position by getting vaccinated. “As we observe African Vaccination Week, we rejoice progress whereas passing an necessary message to our communities that particular person well being is a private accountability. It begins with you. Whereas the Authorities, by means of its well being entities, is working to make sure safety from vaccine-preventable ailments by introducing these new vaccines, the accountability to utilize them to guard your self and your loved ones is in your hand,” stated Dr Anin Ngot Mou, Below-Secretary of South Sudan’s Ministry of Well being.
Knowledge from the WHO Regional Workplace for Africa reveals that for the reason that celebration of the primary African Vaccination Week in 2011, international locations within the area have used the event to conduct a variety of actions together with advocacy, communications, vaccination campaigns, and different excessive affect well being interventions. Consequently, over the previous 14 years, greater than 180 million people of all age teams had been reached with totally different vaccines; an estimated 120 million had been reached with Vitamin A supplementation and 100 million kids with deworming tablets.
The World Well being Group continues to advocate for immunization as a cornerstone of worldwide initiatives aiming to rid the world of vaccine preventable ailments and obtain international well being targets. “Vaccination is essentially the most cost-effective software to save lots of lives and the primary line of protection for cover in opposition to illness. WHO commends the Authorities’s efforts and help by companions to make sure the profitable introduction of recent vaccines into South Sudan’s routine immunization programme. ‘Prioritizing pregnant girls and kids will probably be key to constructing a safer and more healthy inhabitants, serving to us to save lots of lives and construct a strong well being system,” stated Dr Humphrey Karamagi, WHO Consultant for South Sudan.
Over the previous 5 many years, immunization has saved greater than 154 million lives—a median of over 3 million lives annually. In Africa, immunization has saved over 50 million lives and knowledge modelling reveals that in 2024, a toddler beneath age 10 in Africa had a 50 per cent increased likelihood of surviving to their subsequent birthday than they’d have had within the absence of vaccination programmes.
“The introduction of those new vaccines marks a serious milestone in South Sudan’s efforts to make sure no youngster dies or turns into sick due to a vaccine-preventable illness. As we commemorate African Vaccination Week and 50 years of immunization progress, we’re reminded of the extraordinary energy of vaccines to provide each youngster a combating likelihood. UNICEF stays dedicated to working with the Authorities and companions to make sure each youngster, regardless of the place she or he lives, is reached with life-saving immunization companies,” stated Noala Skinner, UNICEF Consultant in South Sudan.
Regardless of ongoing routine vaccination efforts, this system has confronted quite a few challenges through the reporting 12 months, together with outbreaks of measles, yellow fever, cholera, and cVDPV2. Moreover, the inflow of returnees and refugees fleeing the Sudan disaster, coupled with extreme flooding and consequent inner displacement, has strained well being programs. These challenges have, however, not halted the supply of immunization companies, which proceed, each inside and out of doors well being services, even in affected areas.
To handle the numerous immunization backlog accrued between 2019 and 2022, in addition to to achieve kids who defaulted on routine vaccinations in 2023 and 2024, the Authorities of South Sudan has additionally launched the ‘Huge Catch-Up’ vaccination initiative. This nationwide effort is aimed toward figuring out and reaching all kids beneath the age of 5 (0–59 months) who’ve both missed a number of antigens or have by no means obtained any routine immunization doses.
By means of this initiative, South Sudan is intensifying efforts to shut immunity gaps and forestall outbreaks of vaccine-preventable ailments, which stay a persistent risk because of low routine protection in lots of components of the nation.
As a part of the marketing campaign, the Ministry of Well being—working in shut coordination with key companions resembling WHO and UNICEF—is rolling out catch-up vaccination actions in 30 counties throughout the nation. These efforts particularly goal 146,054 zero-dose kids those that haven’t obtained a single dose of any routine vaccine with the complete schedule of routine Expanded Programme on Immunization vaccines.
It’s on this regards that this 12 months the AVW celebrates and acknowledges the collective efforts to save lots of and enhance numerous lives from vaccine-preventable ailments and underscores that immunization for all is an achievable objective.
In regards to the vaccines launched
Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV): Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) is a vaccine that protects in opposition to infections attributable to the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). PCV is advisable for infants, younger kids, to forestall extreme types of pneumococcal illness like pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia.
Rotavirus Vaccine (Rota): The rotavirus vaccine (Rota) is a reside, oral vaccine used to guard in opposition to rotavirus infections, the main reason for extreme diarrhea in younger kids. The World Well being Group (WHO) recommends that or not it’s included in nationwide immunization schedules, particularly in international locations with excessive charges of rotavirus gastroenteritis.
Measles Vaccine (MCV2): WHO recommends all international locations to incorporate a second routine dose of measles containing vaccine (MCV2) of their nationwide routine vaccination schedules whatever the stage of protection with the primary routine dose of measles containing vaccine (MCV1)
For extra data, please contact:
Ministry of Well being: Mary Denis Obat, Director of Well being Schooling and Promotion, mobat43 [at] gmail.com (mobat43[at]gmail[dot]com) Tel.: +211 924 887 006
World Well being Group (WHO): RUTAREMARA, Alice, E-mail: rutaremaraa [at] who.int (rutaremaraa[at]who[dot]int), Tel: +211 921 887 748
UNICEF: Garang Abraham; Communication Marketing consultant; electronic mail: gdiit [at] unicef.org (gdiit[at]unicef[dot]org); Tel: +211922583372